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An Extraordinary Insecticide.
Amazing Properties.
Control of Typhus.
Effective control of typhus required eliminating lice as a carrier of the disease. During World War II DDT was made up into a powder known as AL63, used to spray soldiers' clothing at regular intervals. The insecticide impregnated all underclothing to provide individual protection against typhus. So great was DDT's potential that seven U.S. laboratories and hundreds of biochemists concentrated on refining it. Manufacturers turned out about 350,000 pounds a month — all for the army. The pure chemical itself had little effect; it was good only in an oil solution or when mixed with an inert powder. According to scientists, concentrated DDT was toxic to men and animals when swallowed, but in the weak dilutions used for sprays and dusts, "it has been found harmless to the skin." When the war ended other uses...|
This section contains 237 words (approx. 1 page at 300 words per page) |
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